Field
The present invention relates to a layout structure for an oil filter in an internal combustion engine for a motorcycle.
Description of the Related Art
There is known a motorcycle wherein the exhaust pipe connected to the exhaust port of a mounted internal combustion engine extends rearwardly beneath the internal combustion engine along a longitudinal direction of the motorcycle. In such a motorcycle, a cartridge-type oil filter is disposed on one of left and right side walls, spaced along a transverse direction of the vehicle, of an oil pan that is disposed rearwardly and downwardly of the internal combustion engine, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3038661), for example.
According to Patent Document 1, the oil filter is disposed in a cavity defined in the side wall of a rear portion of the oil pan, so that the oil filter does not project along the transverse direction of the vehicle.
However, since the cavity in the oil pan tends to reduce the amount of oil that can be stored in the oil pan, it is necessary to lower the bottom of the oil pan to provide the oil panel with a desired storage capacity. The oil pan thus constructed has a reduced height from the ground, which tends not only to adversely affect the ability of the motorcycle to run over steps and also the bank angle, but also to cause the oil pan to interfere with an exhaust pipe which extends below the oil pan in a rearward direction of the internal combustion engine.